Lara Swanson Blog

Author Archives: Lara

Couture albums

August 19, 2008 – 6:30 am

The most chic album that I offer is the Couture album. It’s really a work of art, featuring fine art papers from recycled content. Best of all, they will donate to a charity that you choose when I order the album! Charities include the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, Oprah’s Leadership Academy Foundation, Room to Read, American Forests, Global Volunteers, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, and the National Wildlife Federation.

For the book I made below, I chose to have one image on the right-hand page of each spread (you can choose to have one image on the front and back of each page). They recommend including at least 80 pages, so this album contains significantly more images than our others! You choose an image that covers the front and back of the album - in this case, I chose LaTanya’s gorgeous bouquet.

Here are the edges of the album:

Some shots of the incredible binding:

First inside page and binding:

They don’t have lay-flat pages, but book-like pages:

It comes with a hard slipcase that matches the binding:

Finer and classier than the KiSS album, it’s not quite as durable, but is made from recycled materials and definitely stands as the most artistic of our albums.

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Brad’s garden

August 18, 2008 – 6:00 am

What’s this dude so happy about? All of the time Brad’s spending outside with him while he works on his garden! Check out these insane peppers:

Isn’t this the cutest little corner garden ever?

Of course, tomatoes:

And herbs:

And a very happy Moses:

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Megan & Ciara - 1st Anniversary!

August 15, 2008 – 6:00 am

What moment stands out to you most from your wedding planning process?

I can’t think of any particular moment that stands out, but our favorite part of the planning process was when we went to one of the events hosted by the caterer and a location to showcase all the things they had to offer. It is one of the things we did together that we both really enjoyed. The other thing the whole family enjoyed was registering with one of those scan guns. We took our six year old son with us and the three of us had more fun than we ever had in a store - we had to do a lot of editing of the actual registry once we got home but it really was fun to have all of us involved in something that we were enjoying together:)

What moment stands out to you most from your entire wedding day?

We had our friends decorate the room where the ceremony and the reception were going to be held. I wasn’t allowed to look in either of the rooms when I came to the church and they were finished. The reception and ceremony were the church I have been going to since I was a child and I had always said I didn’t want to have the ceremony or the reception there. I remember walking in to the room and being in complete awe!!! They had done such an amazing job - it looked like a perfect purple fairy land. I couldn’t have imagined it being more beautiful.

What advice would you give to couples currently planning their weddings?

We were on a tight budget for the wedding and there were a lot of things that I had to compromise on. I am the type of girl who had been planning my dream wedding since I was old enough to know what a wedding was so it was a very difficult process for me. We had a lot of people giving us opinions on things to do and how to save money here and there. I found that there were a lot of things that it didn’t make a difference (we had LOVELY flowers that we bought wholesale and my aunt arranged, the cake was amazing and made by a friend of my mother’s, etc.) There were a couple of things that I had decided were really important to me and we spent the extra money on (our rings, and the type of flowers). The only thing I did change that I wish I hadn’t was my dress. Because it was a smaller ceremony I thought getting the big dress I had always dreamed about would have been silly…while I did love the dress that I picked the only thing I regret I had done differently was getting the dress I had always dreamed of. So all of this is a long way of saying there will be a lot of people who are going to have a lot of opinions about what you should and should not do. Decide with your fiance ahead of time what things are really important to each of you and stick hard to those….the rest of it (if the linens were plain or had a design, what the chairs look like, etc.) probably won’t make a difference once the day is over.

What was your favorite wedding photo and why?

We took most of our portraits on my church’s playground. There is one of us up on the playground kissing that I think is my favorite. Especially the version that is softened and in black and white. I think its my favorite because we look so happy and in love!

What have you done with the photos since the wedding?

We have put together our proofs album, and framed and hung up the prints that were our favorites. I also got a new computer so now when it goes to a screen saver I get to see all of the photos again which is fun!!

What are you looking forward to for your next year of wedded bliss?

We just had our daughter so this next year I’m looking forward to getting to know her and become parents together:)

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Lisa & Atilla - 1st Anniversary!

August 14, 2008 – 6:00 am

What moment stands out to you most from your wedding planning process?

Having a close friend of mine not just insist that I need a day-of coordinator but go out and find one for me!

My husband and I were making a largely do-it-yourself wedding, and I had convinced myself that a day-of coordinator was a luxury that I could not afford and did not need. My friend Kairol knew better. She got on Craigslist DC and, from her home in Chicago, interviewed a half dozen wedding coordinators and talked me up as a super low-maintenance bride (who knows if I really was?!) until she found one who was willing to work inside my pitifully small budget and who meshed with my personality. The coordinator, Kim Rogers, was fantastic and now I know I couldn’t have pulled off the day without either of them!

What moment stands out to you most from your entire wedding day?

Standing under the chuppa with my husband, holding hands with the man I love and looking out at a garden full of people — family, childhood friends, coworkers — who schlepped far and wide (some from as far as Istanbul!) to be with us and share the day.

What advice would you give to couples currently planning their weddings?

theknot.com was invaluable to me in getting tips on vendors and ideas from other brides on creating a low-budget wedding that is still elegant and fun. Be realistic about what you can DIY and what just makes sense to pay for.

But most importantly, when it comes to the actual day — be present. The caterer, the cake, the flowers — it’s all crap, really. Just a big party. From the time you walk into the church or synagogue or wherever the ceremony is taking place, force yourself to forget about any lingering logistic problems. What’s really important about your wedding is that you are are starting a life with the man or woman you love — and you really want to be in the moment for it.

What was your favorite wedding photo and why?

Lara took a picture of my husband Atilla and I sitting on a bench in the garden where our ceremony was held. He’s kissing the tip of my nose — something he does every day. I love this photo — I feel like it really “gets” us. Plus, my hair looks really good in it!! :)

What have you done with the photos since the wedding?

Oh, I’m so embarrassed. Nothing. I’ve put them on flickr and that’s about all. Grr. OK, my suggestion: if you have told yourself that all you need to do is get a CD of the photos, and that you don’t need to bother spend the money for an album … just spend the money for an album! I really regret not doing it before our mortgage and everything else made it impossible.